Brake.



r. c. CARSTARPHEN. BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED 111N531 1915.

1,225,009. Patented May 8,1917.

JSHEETs-SHEET I.

INVENTOR WITNESSES I I U I F. C. CARSTARFHEN.

V BRAKE.

APPUCATIQN FILED JUNE 3.19 6.

1,225,009. Patented May 8,1917. 7 I a sum-sum 2.

INVENTO? @a@ A-w- WITNESSES F. C. CARS TARPHEN.

BRAKE- APPLICATWR FILED was 3.1915.

1,225,009. Patented M ,1917.

3 SHEETS- T 3.

Mia/i @k/W CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Application filed June 3, 1916.

To all w/rom 1'! may emu-own.

lie it knownithat I, FREDERICK C. Cansuzuu-iuzx, a citizen of the United States, residing in Trenton, New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful ln'iprovements in Brakes, of, which the following is a specification.

This invention aims to provide an improvement in brakes adapted for a variety of uses amlespecially as a sentinel brake for rope tramw'ays.

The :u-eonumnying drawing illustrates one embodiment of the invention;

l igure l is an elevation showing the brake applied to one of the driving pulleys of a rope tramway;

Fig. 2 is a similar view on a larger scale of thehrake itself; i Fig. 3 is a plan of the same;

Fig.4 is it side elevation of, a latch mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line of Fig. 6, omitting the latch;

Fig. (iis a partial side elevation and a pa 1'-' tial section of the latch and related parts;

Fig. 7 is a design for a ilatblank for one of the vanes. Y

Referring now to the embodiment of the invention illustrated the' tramway rope A passesover a guide pulley B and down to a grooved driving au ley C which is driven through a gear D by a pulley E on a shaft F which in turn is driven by any suitable source of power through a gear G. On the end of the shaft F is a bevel gear H engag ing a similar gear J on the lower end of a shaft K which carriesthe brake.

The brake illustrated is of the centrifugal type comprising four vanes L mounted on the ends of arms M which are pivoted on their inner ends to a spider N mounted fixedly on the top of the shaft K, The vanes are held down normally 'eachHby means ofa rope O fastened at one end to the-vane, passing thence around a pulley on 'an armof a latchcarrying collar P, thence around a pulley Q carriedon an arm of the spider N, thence down to a weight R. The connection of the rope to the weight is through asocket S (Fig. 2) whichis'pivotedon the upper end of a bolt T which passes-through the weight R and is fess toned by a nut. U on its lower end. When the shaft is rotated the centrifugal force Specification of Letters Patent.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...

FREDERICK c. cARsTAnrHEN. or TRENTON. NEW JERS] 1Y, ASSIGNOR 'ro THE AMERI- can STEEL AND WIRE COMPANY or NEW JERSEY, or HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, A

BRAKE.

Patented- May 8 ,191 Serial No. [01,518. V

tends to throw the vanes outward and to pull on the rope O and lift the weight; When there s no rotation, or no'excessive rotation, of the shaft the weight -will slide- .down the shaft and draw the vanes inwardr "A coil spring V is mounted on-theunderside of the. spider N and receives the blow.

of the weight when the latter rises quickly.

The vanesu'e of an advantageous design.

They are made in the shape of conical cupsv with their 01)! n sides forward as they rotateg the arrow in Fig.3 showing the direction of rotation. I have found by experiments with thisstyleof vane that for the-speeds generally llS( d it presents approximately forty per cent. more resistance than a flat disk and almost one hundred per'centllnore than the ()I'(.lll ary ball vanes, given the same area normal to the direction of the movement of the vane or disk or ball. Such'a conical cup-shaped vs no can be easily bent up from a Hat blank in the form ofra segment ofa circle, such a blank being indicated at L; Fig. 7,. for exzmple. i

When the speed of the rope and eonsequently that. c f the'brake shaft K' is withina determined ,i init the vanes will be held in their lowest position by the weight which when it falls is automaticallyjlatched to the collar P. Thin collar is formed with ears on one side whic .1- ea'rry the pivot of a latch, the upper arm W (Fig. 6) of which'is provided with a shoulder X of hardened steel adapted tobe caught over a shoulder Y of similar niateri 1'1 mounted on the lower part ofthe weight R. The .coacting faces of the shoulders X and Y are beveled so as to incline slightly to the horizontal, when in holding cnga'g. ement, the beveled-faces en; abling the lifting movement of the weight R to force the latch arm W outward-agairlsti the resistance )f the spring C engaging tihe from the latch. The latch has a horizontal arm Z which carries at its outer end an adj usting abutxm nt screw a. which is fastened by a set nut 12 and the lower end. of which bears on a coiled spring 0 which at its lower end bearsfon a bracket d which is fastened "armZ of the latch in disengaging the weight on the outer end of the pivot pin a of the latch and'whic' 1 has at its inner end a flange f bearing agaii 1st the collar 1. A stud bolt 9 is set into tl 1e latch at a point below its pivot and pas ses through a slot h in the bracket (1, and, as it strikesone end or the I other of the slot it limits the inward and outward movement of the latch.

When the parts are latched as shown the brake offers a minimum resistance to the operation of the line. However, as soon as the velocit of the tramway and the brake shaft K reac a point w'here'the centrifugal force of the vanes L exerts sufficient lifting force on the weight R, the resistance of the sring 0 is overcome and the arm W is force outwardly so that the latch releases the weight. The weightthen slides upward on the shaft gpickly, until it is checked by the spring V.

enerally'speaking, the apparatus will be so roportioned. that the speed at which the atch is released will be suliicient to throw the vanes to their highest position, that is,

s ides down and automatically engages the with their arms horizontal or approximately so. Thus in the normal position there will be littleor no braking action. But as soon asthespeed'exceeds a determined limit the braking action will immediately become a maximum. As soon as the brake checks the s eed of the tramway suflicient-ly the weight latch. i p

\ Though I have described with great particularity of detail a certain embodiment of my invention, yet it will be understood that various modifications may be made in detail and'in the arrangement of the parts without de arting from the invention.

t I' claim is-- 1. A brakingmechanism including means for exerting a braking-effect at all speeds adapted to be rotated'and to be moved outabove a determined maximum and means for holding the' aforesaid means in fixed position for'all speeds below said maximum.

2. A braking mechanism including vanes ward as their speed of. rotation increases so as'to ofier an increased resistance and means for holding said vanes in their inward positi n until the speed of rotation reaches a determined maximum and then'releasing them. 3; ,A braking mechanism including vanes for exertin for maintaining said latch in h adapted to be rotated and to be moved outward as their speed of rotation is increased so as to ofi'er a greater resistance, meansfor holding said vanes inward comprising a weightund a latch to hold said weight down,

tating said arms, saidarms being adapted to .said latch being adapted to yield and permit predetermined swing out-ward when' rotated and'means for rotating the arms and cups thereon, the- "open. ends of the cups being" forward to thereby increase the resistance to rotation offered thereby.

5. A brakin mechanism including means raking efi'e'ct at all speeds above a pre etermined maximum, and means for holding the aforesaid means in fixed po-' sition for all speeds below said maximum, said means including a latch, a sprin for maintaining said latch in holding position, and means for adjusting the compression on said opening.

6. A braking mechanism includingswinging arms having vanes and adapted to be ro- Y tated and to be swung outwardly by centrifugal force, means for holding said arms against swinging movement, said means-comprising a weight and a latch engaging with and preventing lifting movement of said weight engaging faces of said latch and weight being beveled, and yielding. 01 i means gagement with the weight, said latch eing adapted to yield and permit upward movement of the weight and outward swin ingd'novement of said arms when the sp rotation exceeds a predetermined maxlmuml In witness whereof, I have hereunto sighed my name. f

FREDERICK o. ensnarnrr. 

